purr
or pur
[ pur ]
/ pɜr /
verb (used without object)
to utter a low, continuous, murmuring sound expressive of contentment or pleasure, as a cat does.
(of things) to make a sound suggestive of the purring of a cat: The new motor of the car purred.
verb (used with object)
to express by or as if by purring.
noun
the low, vibrating sound made by a cat by the contracting of the laryngeal muscles and the diaphragm as it breathes.
a sound resembling this.
the act of purring.
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Nearby words
Origin of purr
First recorded in 1595–1605; imitative
Related formspurr·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for purr
British Dictionary definitions for purr
purr
/ (pɜː) /
verb
(intr) (esp of cats) to make a low vibrant sound, usually considered as expressing pleasure, etc
(tr) to express (pleasure, etc) by this sound
noun
a purring sound
Word Origin for purr
C17: of imitative origin; compare French ronronner to purr, German schnurren, Dutch snorren
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for purr
purr
1610s, of imitative origin. Related: Purred; purring. As a noun from c.1600.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper